Argentikon, a fairytale story.... It was 1261 when the Genoese bought Chios Island from the Byzantium at a very high price. The Genoese had to pay in two instalments, and owned the Island until 1566 when the Ottomans conquered it. Category: Facilities and Guest Services Restaurant Bar Pool Bar
Facilities:
Residents’ Reading-Sitting Room Room Service (breakfast) Air Conditioning Direct-dial telephone LCD Satellite TV Gardens with walking paths Wi-Fi Internet access Safe-box Business Center Exercise Room, Sauna, Jacuzzi Massage Room In-room massage/beauty treatments Fireplace Transportation to and from Airport or Port Outdoor swimming pool Argentikon consists of Luxury Suites, all with an exquisite view of the gardens. All rates include American breakfast served to your suite or at the outdoor dining area. All accommodations feature a living room, balcony, central air conditioning, satellite TV, radio/CD & DVD players, Wi Fi internet access, direct-dial telephone, mini-bar, marble-lined bathroom, hair dryer, bathrobe, slippers, luxury Hermes bathroom amenities and laundry – dry cleaning services. Housekeeping attention is provided twice daily.
Distances 4 km from Chios International Airport 6 km from Chios center Chios is one of the islands of the northeast Aegean, very close to Asia Minor and opposite the Erithrea peninsula, separated by the Chios Canal. The distance from the Port of Piraeus is about 165 miles. Chios can be reached by air in 25 minutes. One of the most beautiful areas of the island is Kambos, a green valley 3 km south of Chios town. Kambos (“Plain”) is a flat land stretching about 10km along the East coast of the island of Chios, and 2km wide. The low mountains that surround Chios from the West are the source of its underground water that makes Kambos an endless garden full of flowers and citrus trees. In the 14th century, the Genoese aristocracy of Chios selected this area to build their mansions. High walls of stone, from the village of Thymiana near Kambos, protected the mansion from dust, winds and the cold. Elaborate cisterns, decorated with marble motifs and spouts, are a central figure in the courtyards. Shady pathways leading to secluded corners and beautiful gardens provided privacy and quiet for those who wished to enjoy the tranquility. The property consisted of the main building (palazzo) and two other houses (guest houses). Each member of the family had their own residence, and lived within the walls of the estate. In this way their individual privacy was assured. Arched doors and windows, arcades with small marble pillars, huge entrance gates with coats-of-arms and various reliefs, pebbled courtyards and frescoed ceilings, all offer uniqueness in the architectural style of the area. Great care has been given to the decoration of each house with period furniture. In 1954, a local laborer was sent to Ventimiglia, Italy and Nice, on the Cote d’Azur coast of France, to be educated in the fine art of gardening. He spent some time at Villa Hambury in Ventimiglia, where he learned the art of landscape gardening and how to maintain a typical Ligurian formal garden, which is the present form of the Argentikon gardens. Luxury Suites The suites are situated in five buildings, each one with its own unique style. Exquisite Old World craftsmanship and 21st century amenities have been combined to create an estate unsurpassed in beauty and refinement. The main Palazzo, built in 1550 has two suites: CASTELLO Suite: Is located on the upper floor (68m2/ 731ft2) and has a living room, decorated ceilings, two bedrooms, one marble bathroom, and a balcony overlooking the gardens and the main marble cistern. PALAZZO Suite: A spacious (95m2 / 1,021ft2) three bedroom suite on the upper floor has a living room, decorated ceilings, two marble bathrooms, and a balcony overlooking the gardens and orchards. The second Palazzo, built in 1930 has two suites: GENOVA Suite: Located on the ground floor, has a living room, decorated ceilings, two bedrooms, one marble bathroom, and a powder room. (74m2 / 796ft2) VENEZIA Suite: Located on the upper floor has a living room, decorated ceilings, fireplace, two bedrooms, one marble bathroom, a powder room, and a spacious balcony overlooking the gardens. (66m2 / 710ft2) Another building was restored using the distinctive ”xysto” technique used to decorate the exteriors of the houses at Pyrgi village. The outer layer of plaster is whitewashed and then geometric shapes (triangles, chevrons, circles, etc.) are scraped away. PYRGOUSIKO Suite: Located on the ground floor, has a living room, two bedrooms, and one marble bathroom. (52m2 / 559ft2) PYRGI Suite: Located on the upper floor, has a living room with decorated ceiling, a fireplace, one bedroom, a marble bathroom, and balcony overlooking the gardens and orchards. (55m2 / 591ft2) KAMBOS Suite: Located on the ground floor, has a living room with a fireplace, a bedroom with decorated ceiling, one marble bathroom with a Jacuzzi and shower. (63m2 / 677ft2) CHIOS Suite: This junior suite is located on the upper floor and has a living room, one bedroom, and one bathroom complete with Jacuzzi and shower. A private balcony overlooks the citrus grove. (49m2 / 526ft2) Maid service daily, turn down service, room service, nail care (manicure & pedicure) and various types of massages and facials. All these services can be offered in the suites. Complimentary transportation is provided to and from the airport or the Port of Chios. ARGENTIKON Dining Room offers gourmet cuisine masterfully prepared and presented by our award–winning chef. Custom prepared entrees are created for your personal culinary satisfaction with the freshest organic ingredients from the garden and various fine products from all over the world. Guests dine in or outdoors by candlelight in the romantic surroundings, while soft music fills the air. Every suite is equipped with Wi Fi Internet access. We can provide a portable computer, printer or fax at any time, so that you may work in the privacy of your suite. The Argenti family was one of many Genoese families which came to Chios around 1346. Argenti was very fond of the Island so he asked permission to stay in Chios as long as he could. Soon after, on behalf of the Genoese Kingdom, the Argenti family became members of the Mahona Company, the rolling company of Chios for trading and administration. In 1528 the Argenti family was inscribed in the Libro d’Oro della Nobilta Genovese and given the title of Marchese in recognition of their faithful services to the Genoese Republic. This title has been passed down through succeeding generations. This was also the time Argenti became the Governor of the Island. The Genoese families began to integrate with the local Greek population; thus, early during the Ottoman occupation, the Genoese nobility started to contract marriages with the local nobility ,who used to be called Archontes. In addition to the title of Marchese, the Argenti family also received extensive properties and land on the Island. In general, the Genoese nobility chose the fertile Campos region to build their summer residences due to the area’s abundance of water and micro climate. The Argentikon Estate was built in 1550 and was used exclusively as a summer residence for the family. The property consisted of the main building, the Palazzo, and two guest houses. Each member of the family had their own residence, and lived within the walls of the Estate. In this way their individual privacy was assured. Large stone wells were built to depths of approximately 30-35 meters. The wells, equipped with large water wheels called manganos, used to raise the water for storage in reservoirs, the cistern, or what is called sterna. The cistern were interconnected with a system of stone channels (both underground or ground level) for irrigation of the fields and orchards. Today water continues to be extracted from these wells by powerful underground pumps. In 1556 the island was overrun by the Ottomans. The Genoese nobility, however, continued to administer activities on the Island for the Sultan until 1822. It was then, after the island’s uprising and ensuing massacres by the Ottomans, that two members of the family were hanged for their participation in the uprising. Their marble busts, are located in the Argentikon ‘s garden near the marble cistern. Two other members of the family were executed by the Ottomans, and their busts are found at the other end of the Estate. Following the 1822 massacres, the family fled the island and returned to Italy. Eventually, they dispersed to Marseilles, France and towards the end of the 19th century, to England. Sadly during the ensuing years, the Estate fell into decay. What was not damaged by the Ottomans, was destroyed by the great earthquake of 1881. Philip Argenti was the first member of the family to return on the island in the beginning of 1900. His parents and grandparents who loved the Island made him very interested in re-establishing the family link with Chios. Although he found the entire Estate almost destroyed, this did not discourage him from undertaking his labour of love, the restoration of the Estate to its present day form. To this end, he engaged the famous British architect Sir Arnold Smith whose speciality was medieval Genoese architecture. The restoration continued for approximately forty years, with a brief interruption during the Second World War. It was not possible to restore the Palazzo to its original form due to the high labour cost. The original Palazzo extended where the six Carrera marble columns presently stand. The reservoir or cistern, was completely restored, made from Penteli marble, the same precious marble that was used in the Acropolis. All the engravings around it are hand made by an exiled prisoner from Athens whom Argenti had offered a place to stay in exchange for doing this work. Another interesting fact is that the elaborate bronze and copper doors of the Argentikon, four large and two smaller ones, were hidden in a monastery in Mestra, Venice, Italy during the Second World War to prevent pillage by Nazi occupation forces. At the time, Philip Argenti made Argentikon available as a place for rest for the British naval officers in the area. As a token of gratitude, the British admiralty transported all the doors from Venice to Chios in 1947 on a naval destroyer. The type of garden existing in the Estate is the Ligurian form. Characteristic of this type are the stone pathways, distinguishable for use either by family and guests or by the servants. The family-guests’ paths are wide and the bushes are trimmed at an angle. On the other hand, the servants’ pathways are narrow and the bushes are cut vertically straight, thus, always on a straight line in order for the servants to reach where they walked to very quickly. What is more, the garden is home to forty-two different kinds of roses: some were planted for their aroma, some for making the rose leafs sweet and others simply for their exquisite colour. There are also 1,850 trees in the Estate’s orchard, mostly orange trees, some mandarin and some lemon trees. The breakfast marmalade is made out of them every year, and we also serve freshly squeezed orange juice from the Estate’s trees. After a multi-million dollar renovation, which has included restoration of the palazzo building to its pre-earthquake splendor, the entire Argentikon Estate has been transformed to one of the most perfect examples of medieval Genoese architecture in the Levant. Exquisite Old World craftsmanship and 21st century amenities have been combined to create an estate unsurpassed in beauty and refinement. Great care has been given to the decoration of each suite with period furniture and marble bathrooms. The climate in Chios is temperate and the warm summers are enhanced by a light sea breeze. Guests dine by candlelight in the romantic surroundings, while soft music fills the air. Shady pathways leading to secluded corners and beautiful gardens provide privacy and serenity for those who wish to enjoy the tranquility. The Argentikon is a gracious country Estate for the distinguished and most demanding clientele who wish to spend a relaxing and most memorable vacation. A Hidden Jewel waiting to be discovered…! A fairytale waiting to be lived…!
